Raytheon will work on the technology — which was invented in 1963 by an engineer at Texas Instruments, a current Raytheon company — in Texas, California and Florida.

The Department of Defense has obligated $15.97 million in fiscal 2018 Navy working capital funds at the time of award, according a news release.

The forward-looking infrared systems afford users on board a CH-53 helicopter or V-22 tiltrotor aircraft the ability to effectively “see” through impediments like darkness or smoke, Raytheon says on its website. They do this through heat-detection and image-rendering technology.